enthusiastic crowd of ravens fans always packs into nearby pickles pub to cheer on the team. >> yes, baby! reporter: the usual suspects were there, the demanding fan. >> i just need them to reclaim that base and bring us down the field and destroy the new england patriots. reporter: and the surprisingly accurate psychic fans. >> it's going to be a large area left. another turnover and we're good. reporter: and literally seconds later an interception. [ cheering and applause ] reporter: for the entire game the fans hung with their ravens as they clawed within striking distance of the patriots, 23-20 with less than two minutes to. go you don't think these ravens fans were nervous, guess again. there's a minute 45 left and listen to how quiet it is in here. how about you?

were you nervous for your ravens? >> a little bit but i think we'll pull it on. reporter: and then in a flash the season was over. >> billy cundiff hasn't missed a field goal in how long and we lost on a field goal? are you kidding me? reporter: the loss dropped abbey walker to her knees. >> i'm on the floor because i can't believe he missed that field goal. i'm like devastated. we had a chance and we blew it. reporter: while most of the crowd sat stunned faces and hands, mouths dropped open wide, incredibly some were already thinking about next season. >> next year we come back and win the super bowl, no doubt. ray lewis, ed reed coming back and they'll win the super bowl next year. that's all floss it. reporter: let's hope the fans recover -- that's all there is to it. reporter: let's hope the fans recover by then. >> sorry, ravens fans. the patriots will face the giants in the super bowl and the road to the super bowl ends in indianapolis this year, a city that's struggled with its own team since quarterback

peyton manning had neck surgery. now the town is getting ready to welcome fans for the biggest game in football. there are 4,000 volunteers signed up to work the game or the week leading up to it. this is the first time indy has posted the super bowl. . >> good for their economy. >> america's roughest game is apparently tough enough to endure a bad economy. >> the nfl is holding pretty steady. fox's elizabeth pran explains. reporter: despite the largest recession in decades the nfl has seen its revenues soar and faster than any other sports league. >> the nfl was totally recession-proof because people are not going to give up football. football is the american sport and look at the tv contracts. reporter: unlike other sports leagues, the nfl signed contracts with the big four networks, which is producing record tv ratings. viewership is up 15% over last year and it's the highest it's been in two decades.

earlier this month the broncos/steelers game drew a record 42 million viewers. >> football's ratings are off the charts. the super bowl this year will be the highest rated show of the year, maybe of all time. >> yeah, the contracts of all of the networks has been huge. so you can't -- you don't miss your team. you're going to see your team. reporter: national visibility no matter who is your favorite team. that and a long term marketing and media blitz. >> they have created what i call cultural icons. they are more than just a brand. they're a brand that we identify with emotionally, viscerally. we identify with them because they say hometown to us. reporter: all that exposure translates into packed stadiums and $2.7 billion in merchandise sold just last year. >> you can't go anywhere in any

city which has a franchise without seeing something about the team. reporter: in atlanta elizabeth pran, fox news. a lot of people say it's like watching a dream come true. >> yup, american idol is back. see what it's like when contestants score that golden ticket. stay close. ♪

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american idol season 11 auditions underway. >> and contestants lucky enough to score that golden ticket get their chance to seat in hollywood. here's a quick look behind the scenes. >> i was freaking out a little bit. it was pretty crazy. i wasn't expecting. this this was like my goal to get to hollywood and it happened, crazy. >> i totally wasn't going to cry, but it's a dream come true. >> it seriously is a whirlwind, you know, going in there and coming out with this. >> i've always wanted to audition for idol and they came to jersey and i just kind of like super last minute the night before was like oh, i

should. i want to go. i didn't think anything was going to happen with it, but it's been a pleasant surprise. >> it's nerve wracking, but if i can just keep pushing past my nerves, then that's when my voice is really going to shine through. >> i got this i've been working since i was little for this moment and i'm here now and i'm going to do my best. >> she's got the look, though. >> yeah. it is half look, isn't it? >> yeah. >> american idol back wednesday night at 8:00 here on fox 5. still ahead alexandria could see some big changes and not everyone is happy. >> as we continue with, the biggest critics against the waterfront development plan speak out. plus justice for heidi, a puppy shot and killed in maryland. a local lawmaker has a plan to make sure it doesn't happen again. 

this is fox 5 news at 10:00.

a lawmaker in maryland is proposing legislation that would publicly embarrass those found guilty of animal abuse. >> under maryland senator ronald young's plan an animal abuse registry would list the names of those convicted of animal abuse in the future. the bill is being named heidi's law and fox 5's matt ackland explains why. reporter: she was a puppy who loved to play, heidi, a golden retriever, shot and killed earlier this month in middletown, maryland. >> it's going to take a long time to get over temperature. reporter: lynnette coffman has been heartbroken since she found heidi dead in a field near her home. although there is an $8,000 reward, still no one has been arrested. >> this is just a vicious senseless killing. it's a beautiful little puppy of. reporter: state senator ronald young, an animal lover himself says it's time to do more to punish, even embarrass those who abuse animals. >> it's an indication of a problem and it's that i think people should be aware of. reporter: just like a sex

offend registry, senator young would like -- offender registry, senator young would like to create another registry for those found guilty of animal abuse in the state of maryland. their names and addresses would be there for everyone to see. >> i hope it might stop somebody from doing, it but if it doesn't do that, at least people know who and where they are 6789. reporter: there has been public outrage and an outpouring of support since heidi was killed. >> i get cards addressed to lynnette coffman, golden retriever lady middletown maryland and they don't have an address, but they give them to me of. reporter: lynnette said she'd support any law to prevent what happened to heidi. >> absolutely. i think it would make people think twice of. reporter: senator young says he does not think the new registry will cost taxpayers any extra money. in fact, as part of his plan he believes offenders should pay $50 a year to keep the site up and running. in frederick county, matt ackland, fox 5 news.

a group against waterfront development in alexandria spoke out today after the city council voted in favor of it. citizens for an alternative alexandria waterfront plan say yesterday's public meeting proved the development plan doesn't have what it called broad support. the council voted 5-2 in favor of the plan which includes business development and river access. newt gingrich is now at the top of the heap in the race for the republican presidential nod, but he definitely has some prominent and vocal detractors and while he's navigating the quarter of the lead, mitt romney has made a potentially critical decision. reporter: mitt romney under attack about his tax returns now on fox news sunday saying he wants to get the issue out of the way. >> i will release my tax returns for 2010, which is the last returns that were completed, i'll do that tuesday of that week. i'll also release at the same